As Naomi weaved past people down the narrow, claustrophobic, brick-walled corridor, she debated whether straight tequila or a tasty caesar would dull this pain. She glanced at Greg, who grinned as Blondie led him to the dance floor. Naomi looked ahead and picked the tequila. Match a burn with a burn.
Once she and her drinking buddy found an opening at the small bar, Naomi flashed a smile at the bartender and fluttered her eyelashes. She'd never experienced or understood the appeal of physical attractiveness, but she'd spent enough time around people who did to know her looks and flirtation were like currency here. The bartender glanced at her cleavage, and his smile meant she'd shot up on his list of priorities, so she'd get a drink sooner.
After finishing a dark drink with a straw and lime, the bartender navigated to her. "What can I get you, gorgeous?"
"Two tequila shots, please." Naomi kept up her flirty smile, which he returned.
"Coming right up."
Eyebrow Piercing Guy rubbed the brown whiskers of his circle beard. "Presumptuous, but a good choice."
"Those are both mine."
"Can you make that four?" The guy hollered to the bartender and turned to Naomi with a grin. "If you had done that with your buddy, you wouldn't be here with me."
Naomi's shoulders slumped. "This is different."
The guy stayed quiet, but his words dissolved Naomi's confidence. Was that why Greg had run? Her confession hadn't had enough sex appeal? Based on his dance partner, Naomi was the problem, not the dancing or his ex. Every time either of them got out of a relationship, her heart leapt, but perhaps she needed to grow up and accept they weren't meant to be. Her needs and his differed more and more.
The bartender returned with four shots topped with lime wedges, along with a salt shaker, and a tempered smile. Her drinking buddy paid for them before she could, so she left the tip.
"That was unnecessary," she said in his ear. "But thank you."
"You can get the next round." He licked his hand and dusted it with salt, offering her the shaker to do the same. Once she'd returned the shaker to the bar, they took their shots in their opposite hands. "To forgetting about people who too easily dismiss us."
"Cheers."
They clinked glasses then followed the salt, booze, and lime routine fluidly. Her throat and mouth burned as she overwhelmed the sensation with the lime's sourness.
As they prepped and held their second shots, he looked at her. "Your turn."
"To tequila, who never breaks your heart, just your will to face the world tomorrow."
Her drinking buddy smiled. "Cheers!"
After their shots, they shifted away from the bar, but the tables along the wall were all occupied.
"Wanna watch some pool?" He inclined his head toward the back wall, far from the busy corridor between the dance floor and the staircase to the main level.
"Sure." The area was far more relaxed and gave her a second to breathe.
How much longer would she stay here? Shivanna would leave as soon as Naomi asked since straight bars weren't her thing. Naomi just had to find her again. Was it weird to bail after Greg ditched her?
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
The guy chuckled. "At least your lies are consistent."
"Why are you still here?" she muttered.
He shrugged. "Misery loves company."
"I won't sleep with you."
"We already established that," he said with a softness she didn't expect.
Naomi studied his hazel eyes with flecks of chestnut, honey, and gray. What did he want from her? Was he trying to lure her into something?
"Are you going to get me drunk and throw me in the trunk of your car for a twisted murder ritual in your basement?"
The guy crossed his arms. "First, I own a pickup, so you'd easily escape the box, especially with those long legs, but I didn't drive tonight. Second, the basement and parking garage at my condo complex aren't prime Ted Bundy settings. Far too public and I imagine there are cameras. Plus, my brother, who rarely leaves our condo, would never tolerate the mess if I deviated from the basement plan."
Was his lack of denial a good or bad sign? "Sounds like something a murderer might say."
"'I'm not a murderer' seemed too obvious."
"So your motive is not sex or murder."
"I like talking to you. Is that so bad?"
Naomi shrugged.
He chuckled, and his eyes drifted to her hands. "You're one of those people with bear spray in her purse, aren't you?"
"Nah, they search you at the door, but I throw a decent punch."
The man eyed up her arms. "I bet you can." He scooted against the brick wall. "Did you and Dance Man ever date?"
"Nah, the timing was never right. Maybe for good reason."
"Unless you want to be an emotional icepack hook-up, you dodged a bullet."
"Like your friend did?" Naomi wasn't sure if she was serious or joking.
"Ha. ha. I'm not going through an emotional crisis. I'm just looking to explore new territory in our relationship."
She swallowed. Was that on Greg's mind too? See if their sexual chemistry was strong enough and decide. Clearly, she'd left him wanting.
"If you want to stop your guy and take that girl's place, I'll help."
The idea of kissing Greg brought warmth to her cheeks, but she wouldn't do it in a club with hundreds of onlookers and with alcohol dulling his sweet demeanour. Judging from earlier, he wanted more than Naomi could offer him tonight or most nights if she was being honest.
She sighed. "Don't worry about it."
"It could be fun."
"For you, perhaps."
"Hopefully for you too, if he's any good."
"That's not... never mind."
Eyebrow Piercing Guy studied her in a way that made her feel exposed. "Oh, is this a saving yourself for marriage situation? In that case, I can see why..."
If she weren't in a short dress, she would have crumpled into a ball and brought her knees to her chest. Instead, she ran her fingers over her knuckles. His statement implied that she'd change one day, but Naomi was who she was, regardless of how much her ex-partners wished otherwise.
"No, I haven't wai... that's not my situation."
Something about his gaze, with his eyebrow barrel glistening in the bar lights, gave her confidence. What did it matter if she told this stranger? While it strained her past relationships, it shouldn't send a temporary drinking buddy running, especially after telling him she had no interest in hooking up.
"I'm asexual."
The eyebrow piercing rose past his hairline. "Like an amoeba?"
Naomi resisted the urge to slap her palm to her forehead. "No, like a human being, who doesn't experience sexual attraction."
"Never?"
She shook her head.
"So Dance Man pose on your couch naked, purring your name, and nothing?"
"Not a whisper."
"Even if his abs were drizzled with chocolate."
"If he'd just showered, I'd consider the chocolate. Be a shame to waste it."
Eyebrow Piercing Guy broke into a deep belly laugh, throwing his head back. "You're funny. But is asexuality really a thing?"
"It is according to 1% of the population that experience it."
"How does it work? You like Dance Man but don't want to sleep with him. How do you know you're attracted to him?"
"I think about him a lot, enjoy spending time together, and I get nervous when we're close."
"Couldn't you say the same about a friend? What if you haven't met the right person?"
Naomi had lived through that awkward cautious optimism in her last relationship. She'd believed her increased self-awareness and being open about her identity with her partner would move her into demisexual territory where she'd feel sexual attraction because she and her ex had a strong emotional bond, but it hadn't.
"Think of it like pizza. Some don't like it and enjoy other meals. Others like it, but maybe they're not into all the toppings. I tried pepperoni because I was curious and because my partner loved it, but it did little for me. Nothing inside me screamed, 'I need pepperoni on my pizza,' no matter how much I tried it or where the pizza came from. If I never ate another pepperoni pizza in my life, I'd be fine. Cheese and bacon are great, and sometimes mushrooms."
His eyes hardly left her. "Damn, now I'm confused and hungry."
She rubbed her sweaty palms against her dress. "Pizza is a romantic relationship, and pepperoni is sex."
"That second part was obvious, but what about the other meals part? Are there people who want to die alone with their cats or plants?"
"They find fulfillment in other areas of their lives, like their careers, hobbies, and close, platonic friendships. They'd find both of our situations unappealing." After tonight, Naomi could use more time alone.
"Fair enough. So what are the cheese and bacon?"
"Spending time together, flirting, cuddling."
"And sometimes mushrooms?"
"Kissing and touching."
"Like a massage or a hand job?"
A cough from beside them echoed. "Hey, Naomi."
Naomi's face would have burst into flames had she been in a cartoon. Of course, Greg chose now of all moments to talk to her. What would he think about her and this chatty stranger?
"Hey Greg, are you feeling better?"
Pink lipstick covered his cheeks and neck, which was enough of an answer.
"Yeah, I'm still not a hundred percent, so I'm taking off."
Eyebrow Piercing Guy snorted as his eyes jumped to the staircase toward the exit where Greg's blonde was heading to the main level. Part of Naomi simmered. Why couldn't Greg be honest with her? Yet she was discussing asexuality with a stranger when she had never skirted the topic with Greg.
"Hopefully, you'll be back to your normal self soon."
"Are you okay?" His eyes darted between her and her drinking buddy. "Do you have a ride home?"
It was sweet of him to check. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to find Shivanna and the girls in a minute."
"You sure?" Greg eyed her drinking buddy again. "We can share a cab."
"I'm okay, thanks."
As Greg lingered, Eyebrow Ring Guy sat up taller. "She already checked if I was a murderer and told me she could knock me out cold. Good sense of preservation on her."
Greg looked at the man with a furrowed brow. "That's not reassuring."
Naomi wasn't sure why she wanted to defend this guy, but she added, "You know that I'm not above asking blunt questions to near strangers. I am good. He seems harmless."
Greg nodded and bit his lip. "Be safe, and text me if you need anything." He leaned in for a lingering hug that she fought not to melt into.
She pulled away and wished him a good night.
Once he was out of earshot, Eyebrow Piercing Guy said, "Interesting you didn't throw me under the bus to be rescued."
The last thing she needed was to be pitied by Greg, especially when he had somewhere else he'd rather be. Plus, the last time he and Shivanna had rescued her wasn't something she wanted to relive.
"We both know why he's leaving early."
"He stopped by and confronted a guy chatting with you, and that hug was territorial. He offered you a spot in his cab too. Those are wins."
Were they? He would think she was hooking up with strangers from the bar, which would make it that much harder for him to accept her asexuality.
"Thank you. While it's been oddly nice talking to you, I'm going to catch up with my friends."
Perhaps Greg would look back and see them separating.
Eyebrow Piercing Guy chuckled. "Don't sound so surprised. But likewise, I won't forget you, Pizza Chick. Good luck with your 'sick' friend."
"Good luck with whatever you envision the rest of your night looking like."
He smiled. "Thanks, I'll need it. Most people aren't nearly as fun to talk to as you."
His words imbued Naomi with confidence. Despite how devastated she'd been, the man had salvaged her night. She shared her gratitude with a returned smile.